Disclaimer: I do not own anything

Chapter 1

Cal Kestis felt like shit.

He had just gained consciousness, but he couldn't see, he couldn't hear, he could barely even feel anything, and he had no clue why. And on top of that, was of course, the pain. It hit him suddenly, and it hit like a truck. Instantly, the boy jolted, groaning from agony.

His bones, his brain, his everything ached like hell, and his head felt like it was being poked through with a lightsaber. Perhaps it had? The newly christened jedi wracked his head, trying to recollect his memories, only to be frustrated when his efforts yielded naught. Great. Everything hurts, I can't see, and on top of that, I have short term memory issues. Bloody fabulous.

There was something- just on the tip of his mind... A man covered by the dark side, a blazing red sword- a red lightsaber... A sith lord? The name came to him naturally, flowing into his mind as he connected the pieces, but he had no idea what exactly it meant, nor did he know what it entailed. He just knew that he didn't like it. Whatever a sith lord was, he didn't like it at all.

And there was something else. Some other significant detail he was missing. Many other significant details he was missing. It was all grey, like he knew everything he needed, but he couldn't call it to his mind. There must be some way- some way I can call it all back. He wasn't sure why, but he felt the urge- the need to claim back his memories. Like something huge depended on it. Like- like...

Like a force.

Something was significant about that word. Somehow, that word had been a huge part of him. No, not just a huge part of me. A huge part of everyone.

Like a trigger, his sight started to recover. His visible world steadily started to change from a void, completely devoid of color, into an actual landscape. Like a butterfly effect, his hearing started to come back too. It returned much more slowly, but he started to hear the faintest...

Screams.

Suddenly alert, Cal's senses went on overload, and he was given a sensory explosion. Everything returned back to him in perfect condition almost instantly. His vision, hearing, everything. And naturally, he could hear the screams in full portion now. On instinct, he stood up, and looked around cautiously before he dropped something to the ground.

Huh? He picked it up- it was a cube shaped object, blue and filled with light. It was a jedi holocron.

In that instant, everything returned to him once more, and he was given his second overload of the day. His memories returned in full blast as the pieces finally connected together. Cere, Merrin, Greez, Trilla, Holocron, Sith Lord, Jedi, Force, Darth Vader, Jaro Tapal, Empire- names scattered throughout his past hit him in full blast. It was all he could do to stop himself from collapsing onto the cold hard floor. Cal scowled, suddenly filled with information that frankly, he wasn't sure how to handle.

He took a moment to gather his surroundings once more. He was in a large, open room, with its walls being made out of polished metal. It looked elegant and impressive. But it doesn't look like something the imperials would make. If that was the case, there would be much more black, and red too. Lots more red. The color scheme of the room was a shining silver that reflected the glint of the sun. That was of course, because the ceiling had been brutally torn off. Quite recently, if his eyes weren't lying.

He then took the time to look behind him, and finally realized why in the world he had woken up in such a terrible state. And by the force, he didn't like it at all. No way... This opens up way too many possibilities, too many variables. Behind him, was the very thing he dreaded- a solid rectangular prism with a rocky exterior, and a few gimmicky buttons laying on the side.

Carbonite- used to freeze someone in time, particularly infamous for being often used to hang up living creatures as decorations. And it seems, that's exactly what it's been used for. In front of him, was a velvet carpet and a glass box. So, I'm a decoration now. Amazing.

Using muscle memory, his right hand instinctively went over to his side, his fingers grasping upon a familiar cylindrical hilt. He couldn't help but smile in relief that his most valued possession- his life, as his master had taught him- had followed him into the carbonite.

With the flip of a switch, a single, glowing azure blade sprung out of the hilt, and he stabbed the glass with it, fluidly recalling his old fighting style. It instantly shattered around him. Seems like they didn't use the strongest material to keep me contained. But then again, I doubt whoever hung me up as a decoration expected me to escape. Speaking of which, how in the world did he escape?

Either way, that was a problem for later. First, he needed to address what he had put in the back of his mind- the screams that he had constantly been hearing. Locating what seemed to be the exit- a small door the size of a tall human- Cal sprinted forwards towards it, his lightsaber triggered.

And then, a part of the wall shattered, and a black creature entered the room. Now that I take a closer look, it seems to be a wolf. The creature- which he presumed to be a wolf- had red eyes and pitch black fur. Cal sensed there was something severely wrong with the creature, but couldn't figure out what.

He didn't have time to think on the topic further, as the creature let loose a feral howl and leaped towards him with an animistic ferocity. His muscle memory serving him once more, Cal raised his saber in defense, switching over to form 3- Soresu- to increase his defense. The form usually worked better with blaster bolts rather than physical strikes, but it gave him lots of leeway to defend himself when faced with an unknown opponent.

This opponent was completely unknown, making it all the more dangerous. It also helped that Soresu was one of the only 2 forms that he had mastered. His short time as a jedi padawan made it harder to learn all seven forms properly. He had previously mastered Soresu and Ataru, or at least, he had become proficient at them, but he was severely lacking in any of the other styles of combat- save for perhaps form 1.

The creature attacked, opening its mouth and closing in for a bite of Cal's limbs.

The jedi reacted instinctively, lightly stepping out of the way of the creature's face and swinging his saber upwards, instantly beheading his opponent. The creature dissolved into dust, and Cal finally realized what he had been missing. Somehow, that creature doesn't have any connection to the force. Even if someone wasn't a jedi, all living things would be surrounded by the force. And yet, this creature lacked that connection altogether. It gave off a dark, frightening presence that even a sith lord couldn't match. Everything about it just felt wrong, especially to someone as sensitive to the force as he was.

Soon, even the remains of the creature weren't visible. Sensing no further danger from it, Cal turned off his lightsaber and resumed his sprint towards the door, and made his way out of the room.

Instantly, he was tackled by something large. The jedi's eyes widened and he groaned, recalling the familiar weight of the Albino Wyyyshokk spider that he had previously faced. Whatever this thing was, it was heavy. And itchy, and furry... Suspecting that it was another creature, Cal reached out to it with the force, and found again- that it had no connection to it.

With a flip of his saber switch, it was sent dissolving into the air. For the sake of time, Cal used the force to push off its dissolving corpse into the air, finally standing up and scanning his surroundings. What he then saw, filled him with a sense of dread, as he finally realized the reason for the screams he had previously heard.

All around him, people were running away, screaming in terror. And in front of him, approached a horde of the same creatures as the two he had encountered. Monsters of all shapes and sizes- birds, bears, even insects stormed the area, with only a few people fighting them- Cal simply assumed that they were the local law enforcement, even if they look way too colorful compared to what I'm used to... In the end, he would thankfully whatever help he would get. I just hope that these aren't some special version of stormtroopers...

Cal then leaped into the fray, switching his style to form 4- Ataru- to give him the offensive edge. With the creatures all going down with the single stroke of a lightsaber- contrary to what he was used to with some of the more challenging monsters he had previously faced- the jedi became an overwhelming force in the battlefield. Although he wasn't nearly close to being fully trained, his opponents were clunky, and more importantly, predictable. It made his work all the more easier.

The jedi slashed through another bear-like creature, using the force to push back a wolf that attacked instantly after. Although, I have to admit. When it comes to numbers, these creatures have it all settled for them. Just as the thought passed his head, he felt a heavy blow on his back, and the jedi was sent flying into a wall.

Whatever these creatures were, they were physically strong. Much stronger than the creatures that he had faced previously. The jedi suddenly dropped to one knee, his adrenaline fading and his exhaustion settling in. Seizing the apparent opportunity, a wolf-like creature jumped high into the sky, its claws aimed towards him, poised to strike. Cal raised his saber in defense, but the wolf never had the chance to strike him- as a red blur crashed into it while it was still in the air. Cal watched in wonder as the blur- revealed to be a girl around his age- ran around at supersonic speeds, instantly killing the creature with a scythe at least three times her size.

He had seen many things in his life, but he had to admit- that was something he hadn't expected at all. The force allowed jedi to do amazing things, but running at that high of a speed was completely new to him. It made him wonder where exactly in the galaxy he had been stuck in.

After she had made waste of the creature, the girl suddenly ran up to him and brought her face dangerously close with his lightsaber. Widening his eyes, Cal instantly switched it off, reacting quickly before the girl could burn off her face. It was even more terrifying considering that she had moved in the blink of an eye.

Gasping suddenly, the girl looked up at him. Now that he looked closer, he noticed that she was short- extremely short, and had strange looking silver eyes that somehow seemed to sparkle. Yet, he sensed that this girl had no special connection to the force- she was definitely more sensitive than normal civilians he had encountered, but she wasn't jedi material. Nowhere close to it. The girl looked at him for a brief moment, her eyes sparkling and an astounded expression on her face. It made him slightly nervous for what she would do next.

"IS THAT A LASER SWORD!?"

Cal took a step backwards at the loudness of her voice. Not bothering to explain exactly how a lightsaber used plasma instead of light- contrary to popular belief- he simply replied, "Sure...?" in a sheepish tone. It feels weird hearing my own voice again.

"Ohmygodthat'ssocoolpleasecanItou-"

At that moment, another creature leaped towards Cal and the girl, poised to attack. Unfortunately, said girl was still rambling on. The girl's way too distracted right now, and I won't be able to get in front of her in time to prevent the full burst of damage. I could push it back with the force, but I'm not sure I have the energy to do that right now, and I can't exactly absorb the damage myself. It's too risky.

Then, he mentally slapped his face for forgetting his most basic technique. I need to improve my reflexes much more... I've become dulled. Raising his left hand, he channeled the force around him to slow the creature down in mid-air. It was a basic, rudimentary force technique, and quite possibly the only one he could pull off without collapsing. As soon as the creature was slowed down, Cal triggered his saber once more and sped towards the creature, slicing it in half with a wide, overhead arc. The creature instantly started dissolving, and the jedi was forced onto his knees once more. He was facing exhaustion. Where's BD-1 right now? I could sure use a stim...

"Woah! Are you ok, laser sword man?" the girl asked. Ignoring his new nickname, Cal nodded, appreciating the genuine concern in her voice.

"Thank you. I think I'll be fine, I just need a moment to catch my breath. What's your name?" Cal asked the girl.

"Ruby. Ruby Rose." she responded.

"Cal Kestis. By the way, do you have any idea where we are right now?" Cal asked, taking the opportunity to get to know his surroundings better, as there weren't any creatures approaching at the moment. The local police seemingly had taken care of most of them. They're definitely more skilled than stormtroopers alright.

The girl looked at him oddly for a moment, but answered anyways. "We're in Vale, of course! There's been a breach just now, and a bunch of Grimm entered the city!" Grimm, that must be what the creatures are called, Call deducted. Then, the girl suddenly scrunched up her face, and looked at him suspiciously. "Hmm, you actually look like that man from the museum exhibit that Weiss took me to last week!"

Museum exhibit? Cal asked himself in disbelief. I was... hung up on a museum?

All of this was way too new to him, and he had no idea how to deal with any of it. Fighting the empire and killing stormtroopers, or dealing with inquisitors and protecting holocrons- that he could do. Being hung up on a museum exhibit and almost accidentally burning an infectiously energetic girl's face off with a lightsaber?

That was uncharted territory.

The girl looked at him like a fresh piece of meat, examining him to the point where he felt slightly uncomfortable. "Yeah! Same clothes, same face and hair, same everything! That's weird... Are you some sort of cosplayer? Because a thousand year old artifact's a weird thing to cosplay as!"

Thousand year old artifact?

Cal couldn't handle it anymore. He had been encased in carbonite, and hung up in a museum, for over a thousand years.

The jedi took a deep breath in, before collapsing from both mental and physical exhaustion.

"Hey wait! Mr. Kestis? Cal!?" yelled Ruby, but her words were barely heard from the exhausted jedi as he collapsed onto the cold hard floor.

Beep...

Beep...

Beep...

Cal's eyes snapped open to a white room, his head lightly aching and his memory fuzzy. What happened again? I remember monsters, and the girl-

The girl.

It hit him once again. The carbonite, of course. How could I forget the carbonite? According to the girl, I've been encased in it for over a thousand years...

If the girl was right, that meant Cere, Greez, Merrin- they were all dead, unless they had somehow encased themselves in carbonite as well. But he couldn't count on those chances, as much as he wanted to. And besides, I feel my connection with them through the force has disappeared. That could only mean one thing...

Cal frowned, before suddenly feeling a surge of- frustration? Sadness? Anger? Hate? He wasn't quite sure how exactly he was supposed to feel, as he had no idea what in the world had led him to such a scenario. But regardless of the circumstances, the jedi felt a great wave of negativity wash over him. The moment I found somewhere I can belong, it was snatched away from me, and I don't even know how.

Was it the sith lord? Darth Vader, with his terrifying strength and control over the force? Or had it been something more coincidental that had led him to his current circumstances? An imperial assault, and a crash landing, maybe? The jedi wracked his head for answers, but found none. Unlike last time, his mind was completely devoid of memories. There was nothing on the tip of his tongue- nothing that could give him a clue. The last thing I remember is running away from Vader- I don't remember how it ended. Maybe it went wrong... Speaking of which-

He pulled out the jedi holocron in his vest pocket, and briefly examined it. It hadn't lost its light over the last thousand years, and it still glowed with a warm blue light, radiating the ancient aura of the jedi order. All that effort, just to end up in a place where holocrons have no use. Just my luck.

He took the time to take in his surroundings. He was lying on his back, on a comfy bed, and he was in a room with white, marble walls- presumably a hospital. Looking towards his arm, he saw a small needle injecting fluids into his blood. Some kind of stim, maybe? He wondered. He certainly did feel much better compared to when he had first woken up in... Vale, the girl had called it. The land of Vale. It sounds quite foreign to me. As far as he was concerned, there was no such planet in the outer and inner rims... But then again, if the girl was correct, a thousand years had passed, and much could have changed since then.

Feeling well and curious enough, Cal used the force to slowly remove the wrapping around his injection, and telepathically remove it from his arm. It came off smoothly without any problems, but as soon as the needle left his body, the monitor next to him started beeping alarmingly loudly. What the kriff?

Cal froze, not knowing what in the world he had to do. No amount of jedi training had prepared him for a situation like the one he was in now. He had no idea how to respond to what was happening. Before he knew it, a woman with a white dress had scurried over to his bedside with an astounded look in her face.

"Oh, you're awake! I'll get the professor right now!" said the woman. Cal scratched his head in response, puzzled.

Before he could properly respond back to the woman however, she scurried off once more, and a strange looking man came in her stead.

The man had grey hair, but his face was young. His clothes were black and green, and he held an odd looking cane in his hand. But most importantly, Cal sensed an overwhelming amount of force radiating from the man; he gave off an aura of immense power, wisdom, and age. Except- the strange thing was, the man wasn't connected to the force in the same way that he was, or Trilla or Cere was. Instead, he seemed to have a connection to something else, similar to the force, perhaps- and had enough of a powerful connection to it to give off a similar aura to a powerful force user. It made him dangerous, but it piqued Cal's curiosity.

What in the world?

How in the world did things get so confusing? When did they get so confusing? Before Cal's head could come up with an answer to such questions, the man opened his mouth and spoke.

"Hello, Mr. Kestis. My name is professor Ozpin, and welcome to Beacon academy." the man- professor Ozpin- said. Cal briefly nodded in response, his head putting the pieces together. Beacon academy, that must be the name of the building I'm in. Presumably, judging by the name, it's some kind of school. Ozpin then smiled slightly- an expression trained to give away no information whatsoever, Cal noted.

"I assume that you have heard of me and this school, Mr. Kestis? While your expression states the contrary, the existence of myself and my school are quite renowned throughout the land. Not to be egotistical, of course." said Ozpin. Cal reached out with the force towards Ozpin, trying to find out anything, any intent behind his words, but there was something blocking him- like the mental barriers that the jedi learnt to put up early on in their training, except much more firm and stable- and he couldn't derive anything whatsoever. Frowning slightly at his failure, Cal simply shook his head, telling the truth. He found no point in lying at this point in time.

Ozpin's smile widened ever so slightly. The movement was barely noticeable, but it was certainly there. And he meant for me to see it. What kind of man is this person?

"I have to admit, that is a bit of a surprise, Mr. Kestis, but a welcome one. After all, even I found myself in disbelief after I read in the news that a museum artifact had reshaped itself during the attack on Vale. I was quite fond of that statue, mind you, Mr. Kestis. Its commitment to realism was admirable, even if it did look incomplete- but then again, art is to be appreciated for its flaws, is it not?" asked Ozpin, with a knowing expression peppered on his face. Cal found himself slightly curious, and equally frustrated. He had to admit, when it came to interrogations, the man was an expert at it. He gave away no emotion or hints, save for the ones that he wanted to give out. It was like he was being interrogated by an old jedi master. It was equally terrifying, and astonishing at the same time.

The jedi only gulped in response to the man's question. He had no idea what to say in such a situation. Everything is new to me here- there's no guidebook, no code to follow. Cal found himself at a loss as to what decisions he was supposed to, and not supposed to make. Maybe it's my surroundings, maybe it's just the fact that I have a headache. But either way, it isn't good.

"So, Mr. Kestis. When Ms. Rose admitted a patient that looked eerily like the statue from the museum, I couldn't help but be... interested, you might say. And on top of that, you seem to be using a weapon that is unparalleled by today's standards of technology. Again, I found myself astonished when Ms. Rose described a "laser sword" that chopped grimm in half. However, once again, you broke my expectations." said Ozpin. Then, the man suddenly lifted his right hand, holding up an all too familiar hilt. My lightsaber- I didn't even notice it was gone.

Ozpin flipped on the switch, and the saber turned on, an azure glow filling the room. Ozpin briefly looked at it before making eye contact with him again. "Superheated plasma, yes? It is certainly impressive- a technological marvel indeed. Generations ahead of anything we are capable of creating today. To have a machine of such small size, and yet- such precision and stability when handling an extremely dangerous energy. It is truly astonishing to see such a thing."

Before Ozpin could say anything more, Cal reached out to the force, and pulled back his weapon towards his hand, deactivating the blade in the process. He had no intention of letting go of his lightsaber here. He needed it more than ever. But he said something about the lightsaber being generations ahead of current technology- could he be telling the truth? The lightsaber's been around for ages though... If he isn't lying, then this could complicate things even further. Cal frowned at the implications of his situation.

Ozpin merely chuckled in response. "A telekinetic semblance as well. My my, Mr. Kestis. You certainly have an interesting skillset. A powerful offence, and a versatile form of protection. If you had been less morally grounded, then you would no doubt- cause much harm." Cal had to stop himself from scowling in response, recalling his memories from the holocron- teaching the future generation of jedi, only to become an inquisitor in the end. Faithfully serving the empire.

"Hit a soft spot, have I? In any case, I apologize for possible personal offences, and I shall cut the small talk." Ozpin said.

"I appreciate it. Thank you." Cal said. At the very least, the man sounded genuinely apologetic, and didn't seem like the person to personally offend him- or anyone, for that matter.

"Mr. Kestis, after judging your performance during the attack on Vale- which many professors have been impressed by- I have decided to open up the offer for you to join my school. We are a prestigious institution that trains hunters and huntresses to protect the world in the future- and we are facing grave times. Your abilities could assist us greatly."

There's something he's not telling me. Cal immediately thought. The man was hiding something- there was an exterior motive behind his words and decisions. But... Judging by the attack that he had gone through before he had woken up here, Ozpin was telling the truth when he had said that the world was facing grave times. And he had sworn to himself that if he could save any more lives, he would. Otherwise, he wouldn't be a jedi. He had hid in shame throughout the age of the empire, fearful of being hunted down- and that was his greatest mistake. This time, he wouldn't just stand by and watch. Not when he could make a difference.

"I accept your offer." Cal stated firmly, and Ozpin broke into a smile.

"Thank you for your decision, Mr. Kestis. And if it relieves you, we will cover for your academic fees and costs of living- seeing as you most likely do not have the proper funding to attend a school such as this one. I would normally advise you to stay in bed, but something inside me suspects that you will be completely fine being dismissed from the hospital at this time. Feel free to roam the academy at will. I will contact you when your accommodations are ready." Ozpin said, before handing a small device to Cal. "This, Mr. Kestis, is a scroll. It is a piece of technology widely used in Vale, that allows us access to information, calling, and entertainment, among other features. Please keep it with you."

Cal took it, and put it in his vest.

Now, if you may excuse me, I have other matters to attend to, at the moment. Please allow me to excuse myself. I bid you good luck, Mr. Kestis. Welcome to Beacon Academy."

With that, Ozpin left, and Cal was left to roam free. The jedi rose from his bed, checking one last time to make sure all of his belongings were there. Lightsaber? Check. Holocron? Check, even if it's useless now. Then, he stood up, and exited the hospital room, aiming to head to one place.

If this is really a school, than it should have a library.

Indeed, there was a library- a giant one, in fact. It was nothing compared to the archives of data that belonged to the jedi, but it was still big enough that he had trouble navigating it. In a few hours worth of studying, he had figured out the basic details of his new, possibly permanent home. The world of remnant was divided into 4 kingdoms, and it was plagued with the threat of monsters called Grimm.

And most importantly, it had come nowhere close to interplanetary travel. Cal felt his heart drop when he had found such a fact out, even if he was previously skeptical of the land's technological capabilities. However, he had to admit, the weapons that shifted and changed between forms was interesting.

Aura was also a topic of interest. It was similar to the force in a sense- at least, judging from the description that his book provided- but it was completely different too. The force was an energy that wrapped around everybody, and so was Aura, but Aura provided a shield for people, and allowed them to have unique powers, while the force was- he had to admit- much more versatile, but at the same time, much more predictable in how its users could manifest its energy. It was certainly an interesting subject.

That was when suddenly, he sensed something coming towards him- and quickly too.

He turned around and got into a defensive pose, only to slightly lower it once he figured out who exactly had been coming towards him. It was the girl- Ruby Rose- and another girl, this one with blonde hair and illiac eyes. Just like Ruby, the girl gazed at him like a steak. Like a hunk of meat, waiting to be judged.

Is this going to be a regular thing? The jedi quickly found himself getting slightly uncomfortable.

Then, Cal suddenly felt a powerful grip on his arm, and before he knew it, he had been dragged out of the library by the illiac eyed girl. She's quite strong. In fact, she might even be more physically fit than the ninth sister. He wondered what it would feel like to get punched by her, and mentally shuddered.

"Sup?" The blonde girl said. "Name's Yang Xiao Long. Came here to see who in the world Ruby's been obsessing over for the past few days- and I gotta say, I'm a bit unimpressed." Ruby only flushed in response, and weakly tried to slap the taller girl.

"Yaang~! Don't put it like that! It makes me look weird!" yelled Ruby, the girl slightly pouting. Yang only laughed in response. This world is crazy, bring me back to where I was before. Cal silently dreaded.

"Hehe. So, Red! What about you has my sister so interested? I mean, she was practically jumping out of the bed to see how you were holdin'- MMPH!" the older girl was silenced, as Ruby jumped on her back and swiftly clapped his hands over the blonde's mouth.

Well, on the other hand, at least this is a change of pace compared to running from the empire. At the very least, judging by these two, this academy won't be boring.

As Ruby was finally flung off her sister's back, she quickly recovered and took the floor before Yang could speak. "SO! Cal! I think it would be nice for you to meet the other members of our team! Isthatfinewithyou? Okit'sfine? Thenoffwego!" Before Cal had an opportunity to speak, he felt a hand pulling on his arm, but unfortunately for the puller, the jedi was way too heavy. Ruby briefly struggled against the jedi, with the latter being more confused than anything. Eventually however, the girl gave up, before looking back towards him with a pout.

"Please come willingly?"

This place is insane. Cal immediately thought.

Still, he followed the girl anyways. He had seemingly covered most of remnant's basics, and he had nothing better to anyways.

Author's notes:

Well, chapter one is complete! This is a story I've had in mind for a while, ever since I've completed Fallen Order! Although Cal Kestis is a bit generic as a protagonist, what I love about him is that he has a ton of room to grow, giving him good potential as both a character and a protagonist! This story won't stick with RWBY canon by the way. Cal's appearance is going to shift a lot of things.

Please leave a review if you liked it!